Drink container attachment

ABSTRACT

A drink container attachment comprising a sleeve and a collar. The sleeve has an internal surface, an external surface, a lower edge and an upper edge, the sleeve sized to receive a beverage cup or container having a drinking location. The collar has a sleeve securing region and a foldable region. The collar is connected to the sleeve at the sleeve securing region. The foldable region has an internal surface, an external surface, a fold, an upper edge and a resilient characteristic. The foldable region is foldable along the fold between a drink position wherein the upper edge of the foldable region is located below the drinking location of the cup and a guard position wherein the upper edge of the foldable region is located above the drinking location of the cup. The collar is capable of absorbing or deflecting spills or leaks from the beverage cup when the cup is moved or transported.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to drink container attachments and other containers used to transport and dispense beverages.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Restaurants, coffee shops and bars that sell beverages for consumption off premises typically serve the beverages in disposable cups. The cups often come with a lid having a spout or hole for drinking the beverage while the lid is fastened in place over the top of the cup. However, even with a lid covering the top of the cup, and particularly during transport, liquid typically squirts or leaks through the drinking hole, or leaks around the lip or opening of the cup. The leaking or squirting liquid may stain whatever it touches or even, if it is hot, bum the hand of the consumer. As a result, the consumer must drink a sufficient amount of the beverage on the spot to lower the liquid content of the cup or move slowly while carrying the beverage to prevent leaking or squirting of the liquids. This can be quite inconvenient if the liquid is hot or the consumer is driving with the beverage.

It is therefore desirable to have a way of preventing splashes, spills or leaks from beverage cups or containers holding a liquid while the cups or containers are being transported.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a drink container attachment having a movable splash guard or collar connected to an insulative sleeve for absorbing, deflecting, redirecting or holding splashes, spills or leaks from cups or containers containing a liquid.

In an embodiment, the drink container attachment comprises a sleeve and a collar. The sleeve has an internal surface, an external surface, a lower edge and an upper edge, and the sleeve is sized to receive a beverage cup or container. The collar has a sleeve securing region and a foldable region. The collar is connected to the sleeve at the sleeve securing region. The foldable region has an internal surface, an external surface, a fold, an upper edge and a resilient characteristic arising, for example, from a plurality of pleats or a stretchable or elastic material. The foldable region is capable of being moved to a plurality of positions along the fold. The collar is capable of deflecting and absorbing splashes, spills or leaks from the beverage cup when the cup is moved or transported.

It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a drink container attachment having a collar that is capable of being moved to a guard position and extends above the cup to absorb, deflect, redirect or hold splashes, squirts, spills, drips and leaks from a beverage contained within the cup to prevent the liquid from being deposited on, among other things, clothes and vehicle interiors where liquid can damage switches and controls.

Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a drink container attachment having a collar that is moved to a drink position inwardly and forms a collar around the cup so that the beverage or liquid can be consumed or poured out.

Still another advantage of the present invention is that when the collar is moved to the drink position, the collar continues to catch squirts, leaks and spills during consumption or pouring of the beverage.

Yet another advantage of the present invention to provide a collar that is detachable from the sleeve.

Another advantage of the present invention is to prevent a cup having a lid with an opening from squirting, dripping, spilling or leaking the beverage while the cup is being transported.

Still another advantage of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive, disposable attachment to a cup that can protect a consumer from accidental spills, splashes, squirts and leaks.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed Description of the Invention and the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the drink container attachment illustrating the foldable region of the collar in a guard position covering the opening of a cup.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the drink container attachment illustrating the foldable region of the collar in the drink position covering the sleeve.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an embodiment of the drink container attachment illustrating an open and expanded sleeve attached to the collar.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the drink container attachment illustrating the foldable region of the collar in the guard position and completely encircling the cup.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the drink container attachment illustrating a flexible foldable region of the collar without pleats in the guard position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the figures, embodiments of the present invention are illustrated. In an embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the drink container attachment 2 includes an insulative sleeve 4 having an internal surface 6, an external surface 8, a lower edge 10 and an upper edge 12. The sleeve 4 is sized to receive a beverage cup or container 14 having an opening or drinking location. The cup 14 may have a cover or lid 34 used for the opening or drinking location 36 as illustrated in FIGS. 1-2. The drinking location 36 can also be any opening of the beverage cup or container 14 where a consumer can drink the beverage or where the beverage can leak or splash from.

The drink container attachment 2 also includes a collar 16 having a sleeve securing region 17 and a foldable region 19. The collar 16 is connected to the sleeve 4 at the sleeve securing region 17. Preferably, the sleeve securing region 17 of the collar 16 is attached to the top portion of the sleeve 4 as illustrated in FIGS. 1-2. However, it should be appreciated that the sleeve securing region 17 can be attached to any part of the sleeve 4 including the internal surface 6, the external surface 8, the lower edge 10 or the upper edge 12 of the sleeve 4. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the foldable region 19 has an internal surface 18, an external surface 20, a fold 30, an upper edge 24 and a resilient characteristic such as a plurality of pleats 38 which are capable of expanding and contracting. The resilient characteristic allows the foldable region 19 of the collar 16 to be moved to a variety of positions around the cup or container 14. The resilient characteristic of the foldable region 19 can also come from an elastic, stretchable or flexible material or any other suitable materials.

The foldable region 19 is foldable along the fold 30 between a drink position 22 wherein the upper edge 24 of the foldable region 19 is located below the drinking location 36 of the cup 14 and a guard position 26 wherein the upper edge 24 of the foldable region 19 is located above the drinking location 36 of the cup 14. FIG. 1 illustrates the collar 16 in the outward or guard position 26 over the drinking location 36 of the cup 14. It should be appreciated that the guard position 26 is not limited by the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. The guard position 26 may be any suitable position where the foldable region 19 or a portion of the foldable region 19 is located above the drinking location 36 of the cup 14.

FIG. 2 illustrates the collar 16 in the inward or drink position 22 over the sleeve 4. It should be appreciated that the drink position 22 is not limited by the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2. The drink position 22 may be any suitable position where the foldable region 19 or a portion of the foldable region 19 is located below the drinking location 36 of the cup 14.

In an embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-2, the collar 16 partially surrounds or encircles the cup 14 in the guard position 26 and drinking position 22. It should be appreciated the collar 16 can be situated around the cup 14 in a plurality of positions.

The sleeve 4 and the collar 16 can vary in size so as to be capable of receiving different sized cups or beverage containers. The beverage cup or container 14 can be either disposable or reusable and can be made of paper, plastic, ceramic, glass or any other suitable material. The cup 14 may be tapered and may have the cover or lid 34 defining the opening or drinking location 36 for drinking. The lid 34 can be made of plastic or any other suitable material.

The collar 16 may or may not be detachable from the sleeve 4. The sleeve 4 and the collar 16 can be attached to each other using adhesive or any other suitable fastener or connector along the sleeve securing region 17 of the collar 16 and the portion 28 of the upper edge 12 of the sleeve 4. It should be appreciated that the collar 16 can be physically attached to the sleeve 4 continuously or by spaced apart fasteners or connectors.

In an embodiment, the edges 10 and 12 of the sleeve 4 define an opening to receive the cup 14. In an alternative embodiment, the sleeve 4 may not have an opening lower edge 10 and may completely envelop and engage the beverage cup or container 14. In an alternative embodiment, the upper edge 12 of the sleeve 4 may extend above the drinking location 36 of the cup or container 14. In another embodiment, the sleeve 4 can be conical or cylindrical in shape depending on the cup or container 14 to be received.

In an embodiment, when the sleeve 4 has received the cup 14, the collar 16 in the guard position 26 may be located at least partly or wholly above the drinking location 36 of the cup 14. It should be appreciated that the height of the foldable region 19 can be any suitable length to absorb, deflect, redirect or hold splashes, squirts, spills, drips and leaks coming from the opening or drinking location 36 of the cup 14. In another embodiment, when the sleeve 4 has received the cup 14, the collar 16 in the drink position 22 may be located below the drinking location 36 of the cup 14.

Referring now to FIG. 4, in an embodiment, the sleeve securing region 17 of the collar 16 forms a circumference 40 and a portion 42 of the circumference 40 of the sleeve securing region 17 is attached to the sleeve 4. In this embodiment, the collar 16 entirely surrounds or wraps around the cup 14. It should be appreciated that the collar 16 can be physically attached to the sleeve 4 continuously or by spaced apart fasteners or connectors.

In an embodiment, the foldable region 19 of the collar 16 can be capable of being moved or folded to a guard position 26 outwardly away from the sleeve 4 and to a drink position 22 inwardly toward the sleeve 4 along the fold 30. It should be appreciated that a consumer can still drink from the cup 14 even though the collar 16 is in the guard position 26, and the collar 16 can still be capable of absorbing or deflecting liquid sprayed or spilled from the cup 14 in the drink position 22.

In another embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the collar 16 has perforations 32 along the fold 30 to enable the foldable region 19 of the collar 16 to be removed or detached from the sleeve 4. In another embodiment, the collar 16 may have any suitable types of perforations 32 located at various distances from the fold 30, or the collar 16 may not have any perforations 32 at all.

In an embodiment, the foldable region 19 that extends above the drinking location 36 of the cup 14 can be shaped or tapered differently then sleeve 4 to form a narrower or wider opening when the collar 14 is in the guard position 26. In an embodiment, the foldable region 19 in the guard position 26 may substantially cover the drinking location 36 of the cup 14. In this embodiment, for example, the upper edge 24 of the foldable region 19 forms a very narrow opening over the drinking location 36 of the cup 14 than that illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5. In another embodiment, the upper edge 24 of the foldable region 19 in the guard position 26 may have a much wider opening than that illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5.

In another embodiment, the foldable region 19 of the collar 14 may have the plurality of pleats 38 that assist in the collar 14 being able to maintain the drink position 22 or the guard position 26. For example, the plurality of pleats 38 in the foldable region 19 may rigid yet flexible enough to enable a consumer to move or fold the foldable region 19 back and forth between the drink position 22 and the guard position 26. The collar 16 can also be designed or cut, for example, with radial cuts in the foldable region 19 to facilitate folding or positioning of the collar 16.

In another embodiment, the present invention includes a method of using the drink container attachment 2. The method comprises inserting the cup 14 into the sleeve 4 attached to the collar 16; positioning the foldable region 19 of the collar 16 in a guard position 26 while the cup 14 is not being used for drinking; and positioning the foldable region 19 of the collar 16 in a drink position 22 while the cup 14 is being used for drinking. In another embodiment, the collar may be folded or moved into a plurality of different positions with respect to the cup drinking location 36.

The sleeve 4 can be made from one material or a combination of materials and can have any suitable height and thickness. The sleeve 4 can be made from any type of flexible, firm, absorbent, recyclable or reusable materials or a combination thereof. Preferably, materials used for the sleeve 4 can be any materials such as paper, pulp or plastic, including materials that are recyclable, that provide good insulation to minimize or prevent the conduction of hot and cold temperatures from the liquid in the cup 14 through the sleeve 4. It should be appreciated that the sleeve 4 can also be specifically designed with rounded groove structures or air pockets to maximize the insulation properties of the sleeve materials.

The collar 16 can have any suitable height and thickness and can be made of one or more materials. Preferably, collar 16 should contain at least one absorbent material that is capable of absorbing water or various other fluids from drips, leaks and spills from the cup 14 upon contact or some time thereafter. The absorbent material can be any suitable material such as cloth, cellulosic or polymeric material or a combination thereof, including materials that are recyclable or reusable. In an embodiment, the internal surface 18 of the foldable region 19 can be made of an absorbent material and the external surface 20 of the foldable region 19 can be made of a flexible material or vice versa. In another embodiment, the internal surface 18 of the foldable region 19 can be partly made from an absorbent material. It should be appreciated that numerous combinations of flexible material and absorbent material can be used for the collar 16 and the sleeve 4.

The sleeve securing region 17 and the foldable region 19 of the collar 16 may be made up of any suitable single material or combination of materials. In an alternative embodiment, the foldable region 19 of the collar 16 can be constructed of a more rigid material. The consumer can then push or compact the foldable region 19 down toward fold 30 encircling the sleeve 4 so that the compacted foldable region 19 is roughly adjacent to the top of the cup 14.

In an embodiment, the sleeve 4 and the collar 16 can be constructed of identical materials and form a single unit. In this embodiment, for example, the sleeve 4 and the collar 16 may or may not be the same thickness. In such a case of a single unit drink container attachment, the method of operating the drink container attachment 2 will be the same as described above.

In an embodiment, the collar 16 may be attached directly to the cover or lid 34 of the beverage cup 14. In another embodiment, the collar 16 may be attached directly to the beverage cup 14 itself. In these alternative embodiments, the corresponding sleeve 4 may not be needed.

Referring now to FIG. 5, in another embodiment, the foldable region 19 of the collar 16 may not have any pleats 38. In this instance, the foldable region 19 may be made of a flexible material that can be stretched to enable a user to move or fold the foldable region 19 back and forth between the drink position 22 and the guard position 26. It should be appreciated that the flexible material can be any suitable material such as a polymer that can be deformed or stretched but eventually returns to its original form.

The present invention, in one embodiment, includes a drink container attachment comprising a sleeve and a collar. The sleeve has an internal surface, an external surface, a lower edge and an upper edge, said edges sized to receive a beverage cup or container. The collar has a sleeve securing region and a foldable region. The collar is connected to the sleeve at the sleeve securing region. The foldable region has an internal surface, an external surface, a fold, an upper edge and a resilient characteristic. The collar is capable of being moved or folded to a plurality of positions along the fold. Thus, the collar is capable of absorbing or deflecting spills or leaks from a beverage containing cup when the cup is moved or transported to prevent the liquid from being deposited on the consumer's hand, clothes and vehicle interiors.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its intended advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims. 

1. A drink container attachment comprising: a sleeve, the sleeve sized to receive a cup having a drinking location; and a collar having a sleeve securing region and a foldable region, the collar connected to the sleeve at the sleeve securing region, the foldable region having an internal surface, an external surface, a fold, an upper edge and a resilient characteristic, the foldable region foldable along the fold between: (a) a drink position wherein the upper edge of the foldable region is located below the drinking location of the cup; and (b) a guard position wherein the upper edge of the foldable region is located above the drinking location of the cup.
 2. The drink container attachment of claim 1, wherein the sleeve and collar comprise a single unit.
 3. The drink container attachment of claim 1, wherein the foldable region comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of insulating material, absorbent material, recyclable material, reusable material and combinations thereof.
 4. The drink container attachment of claim 1, wherein the collar comprises at least one absorbent material.
 5. The drink container attachment of claim 1, wherein the resilient characteristic is a flexible material.
 6. The drink container attachment of claim 5, wherein the flexible material is absorbent.
 7. The drink container attachment of claim 5, wherein the flexible material enables the collar to be maintained in the drink position and the guard position while allowing movement between the drink position and the guard position.
 8. The drink container attachment of claim 1, wherein the resilient characteristic is a plurality of pleats.
 9. The drink container attachment of claim 8, wherein the plurality of pleats enables the collar to be maintained in the drink position and the guard position while allowing movement between the drink position and the guard position.
 10. The drink container attachment of claim 1, wherein the sleeve and collar comprise the same material.
 11. The drink container attachment of claim 1, wherein the collar is perforated.
 12. The drink container attachment of claim 1, wherein the sleeve securing region of the collar forms a first circumference, a portion of the first circumference of the collar being attached to the upper edge of the sleeve.
 13. The drink container attachment of claim 12, wherein the collar is detachable from the sleeve.
 14. The drink container attachment of claim 13, wherein the collar is perforated at a location separate from the fold.
 15. The drink container attachment of claim 1, wherein the sleeve is attached to the collar with an adhesive.
 16. The drink container attachment of claim 1, wherein the foldable region in the guard position substantially covers the drinking location of the cup.
 17. A drinking apparatus comprising: a container for receiving a beverage; a sleeve for receiving the container, the sleeve comprising at least one insulating material; and a collar having a sleeve securing region and a foldable region, the collar connected to the sleeve at the sleeve securing region, the foldable region having an internal surface, an external surface, a fold, an upper edge and a plurality of pleats, the upper edge forming a circumference, the foldable region capable of being folded along the fold to a plurality of positions, the collar comprising at least one absorbent material.
 18. A disposable drink container attachment comprising: a sleeve having an internal surface, an external surface, a lower edge and an upper edge, said edges sized to receive a cup, the sleeve comprising at least one insulating material; and a collar having a sleeve securing region and a foldable region, the collar connected to the sleeve at the sleeve securing region, the foldable region having an internal surface, an external surface, a fold, an upper edge and a resilient characteristic, the upper edge forming a circumference, the foldable region capable of being folded along the fold to a plurality of positions, the collar comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of an absorbent material, a flexible material and combinations thereof.
 19. The drink container attachment of claim 18, wherein the sleeve and collar comprise a single unit.
 20. An method of using a drink container attachment comprising: inserting a cup having a drinking location into the drink container attachment comprising a sleeve and a collar, the sleeve having an internal surface, an external surface, a lower edge and an upper edge, said edges sized to receive the cup; positioning the collar in a guard position while the cup is not being used for drinking, the collar having a sleeve securing region and a foldable region, the collar connected to the sleeve at the sleeve securing region, the foldable region having an internal surface, an external surface, a fold, an upper edge and a resilient characteristic; and positioning the collar in a drink position while the cup is being used for drinking. 